Apparatus for cutting mullion tubes

ABSTRACT

Discloses an apparatus for mitering the ends of mullion tubes for diamond-shaped mullion devices and, by such mitering, cutting inclusively the mullion tubes to their required lengths. This invention relates to an apparatus for mitering the ends of mullion tubes for diamond-shaped mullion devices and, by such mitering, inclusively cutting the mullion tubes to their required lengths. Saw means and work-guide means are mounted on adjustable carriage means. The carriage means has an access aperture to permit the mullion tubes to be fed longitudinally to the workguide means.

United States Patent Philip J. M. Fisher Albany, N.Y. 835,430

June 23, 1969 Apr. 13, 1971 Alban I. Jacobson Latham, NY.

[72] Inventor [21 Appl. No. [22] Filed [45] Patented [73] Assignee [54] APPARATUS FOR CUTTING MULLION TUBES 4 Claims, 9 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S. Cl 83/409, 83/432, 83/473, 83/581 [51] Int. Cl 826d 3/02 [50] Field of Search 83/409, 415, 432, 581, 472, 473, 3; 143/38, 6

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,247,651 11/1917 Evans....

2,344,003 3/1944 Sheptinsky 83/415X 2,377,139 5/1945 Fraser 143/38UX 3,380,494 4/1968 Mayo 143/38 3,388,727 6/1968 Kotila l43/38X Primary ExaminerJames M. Meister AnomeyWalter F. Wessendorf, Jr.

ABSTRACT: Discloses an apparatus for mitering the ends of mullion tubes for diamond-shaped mullion devices and, by such mitering, cutting inclusively the mullion tubes to their required lengths.

This invention relates to an apparatus for mitering the ends of mullion tubes for diamond-shaped mullion devices and, by such mitering, inclusively cutting the mullion tubes to their required lengths. Saw means and work-guide means are mounted on adjustable carriage means. The carriage means has an access aperture to permit the mullion tubes to be fed longitudinally to the work-guide means.

P5155151 A ril 13, 1971 v 3,515,015

3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

PHILlP J. M. FISHER BY .;;z; 4 W

Patented 'April'13, 1911 5,575,015

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I I I! 99 an 89 INVIL'N'NJR. PHILIP J.M.FISHER BY I Patented pril 13, 197i 3 Sheets-Shem 3 I INVENTOR. PH|L|P-J.M. FISHER F I G. 8.

Law 2. MW

APPARATUS F011 CUTTTNG MTJLUON TUBES The problem in the art to which this invention apertains is the need for an apparatus for mitering the ends of mullion tubes for diamond-shaped mullion devices and, by such mitering, inclusively cutting the mullion tubes to their required lengths. in their application, for entitled Mullion Device for Window," Ser No. 805,164, filed Mar. '7, 1969, Jacobson et al. (Philip J .M. Fisher) demonstrate a simple solution to the complex problem of the art relating to diamond-shaped mullion devices or grills. Jacobson et al. by simply making two miter cuts of 90 relative to each other at each end of a mullion tube, eliminate the prior-art necessity of both mitering and coping the mullion tubes. Jacobson et al. simply make miter cuts of the same angle of incidence relative to the longitudinal axis of the mullion tube at opposite sides of each end of the mullion tube, and then make miter cuts again of an angle of incidence relative to the longitudinal axis of the mullion tube at opposite sides of each end of the mullion tube. These angles of incidence of the miter cuts made at each end of the mullion tube form complementary angles of 90". As an arbitrary example, if miter cuts of 40 are made on opposite sides of each end of a mullion tube, miter cuts of 50 would have to be made on the alternate opposite sides of each end of the mullion tube.

Accordingly, the object of this invention is to contribute further to the solution to the problem of the art relating to diamond-shaped mullion devices by providing an apparatus adapted for making the required miter cuts at each end of a mullion tube with such miter cuts thereby made inclusively resulting in the mullion tube being cut to its required length dimensionally for use as a component of the mullion device or grill.

This object and further objects of the invention should be discerned and appreciated from the detailed specification taken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view of the apparatus;

FTG. 2 is a view, partly in section, of the legs, saw carriage and motion screw;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken in the direction of the arrows 3-3 of HG. 2;

HO. 1 is a view taken in the direction of the arrow 4 in H6. 1;

FiG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken in the direction of the arrows 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is view of an indicator;

FIG. 7 is a view of the guide assembly;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken in the direction of the arrows 3-5 of HG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is a representation showing that the centers of the guide support rods and the intersecting surfaces of the saw blades coincide relative to the mullion tubes positioned for cutting.

in FIG. 1 of the drawings, reference numeral 1 refers generally to the invention. As viewed in F168. 1, 2, d and 5, two L-shaped frames 3 each having an equal right leg 5 and left leg 7 forming an angle of 90 are adjustably supported by frame support 9 by means of transversely disposed pivot pins 11, and nuts and bolts 13 disposed through arcuate adjustment slots for adjustable disposition.

Each of the right legs 5 mounts an acme-threaded, right motion screw 17 and each of the left legs 7 mounts an acmethreaded, left motion screw 19. Right motion screws 17 engage nuts carrying the right saw can'iage 21 and left motion carriage 21. A chain 29 is trained around sprockets 31 fixed to the upper terminal portions of right motion screws 17. An arm 33 is adjustably positionable on right cross support 35 joining right legs 5 by means of nut and bolt 37, and arm 33 freely mounts idler sprocket 39 to thereby provide adjustable tightening of chain 29. Handle 41 fixed to the upper terminal portion of one of the motion screws 17 facilitates drive of the motion screws 17.

The threaded portion of each right motion screw 17 is engaged with a nut 43 fixed to right saw carriage 21. Rotation of handle 41 effects rectilinear positioning of the right saw carriage 21 relative to the right leg 5 of L-shaped frame 3.

The right saw carriage 21 mounts a motor 45 whose drive pulley 47 drives a driven pulley 19 by means of a belt 51 trained around the drive and driven pulleys 47 and 49. A shaft mounted in mandrel 53 carries driven pulley on one end and saw blade 55 on the other end. Saw carriage 21 mounts another motor 57 whose drive pulley (not shown) drives a driven pulley (not shown) by means of a belt (not shown) trained around these drive and driven pulleys. A shaft mounted in a mandrel (not shown) carries the driven pulley at one end and a saw blade 59 at the other end. Saw blades 55 and 59 are disposed at an angle of relative to each other.

The left saw carriage 23 similarly mounts two motors, drive pulleys, driven pulleys, belts, mandrels and saw blades 61 and 63. Saw blades 55 and 61 are aligned and disposed parallel to each other, and saw blades 59 and 63 are aligned and disposed parallel to each other.

The right leg 5 has indicia 65 thereon to facilitate appropriate positioning of right saw carriage 21 relative to right leg 5 by means of an indicator 67 carried by right saw carriage 21. The left leg 7 has indicia 69 thereon to facilitate appropriate positioning of left saw carriage 23 relative to left leg 7 by means of an indicator 71 carried by left saw carriage 23.

Reference numeral 73 generally refers to the guide assembly shown in FIG. 7. Right guide brackets 75 and 77 are fixed to the right saw carriage 21, and left guide brackets 79 and 31 are fixed to the left saw carriage 23. Right guide brackets 75 and 77 freely mount respective right guide support rods 83 and 85, and left guide brackets 79 and S1 freely mount respective left guide support rods 87 and 39.

Right arms 91 and 93, fixed to respective right guide support rods 83 and 85, are fixed to right intermediate rod 95. Left arms 97 and 99, fixed to respective left guide support rods 37 and 39, are fixed to left intermediate rod 101. Slide 103 is fixed at one end to right guide support rod 85. Slide 103 freely mounts positioning rod 105 whose end is clamped to left guide support rod 59, as shown.

One end of offset, articulated arm 107 is fixed to right intermediate rod 95 and the other end of arm 107 is fixed to work support 109. Fixed to the upstanding from left intermediate rod 101 is a bracket 111 to which is fixed an upper left workholder support 113 and a lower left workholder support 115, shown more discernably in FIG. 3. Workholder supports 113 and 115 are beveled as shown. Left workholder clamp 117 is pivotally mounted by a pin 119 a portion of which is threaded and is engaged in a tapped hole in upper workholder support 113. Screw 121 is engaged in a tapped hole in upper workholder support 113. A compression spring 123 is disposed between clamp 117 and screw 121 to constrain clamp against the two mullion tubes 125 for retention of the mullion tubes 125 disposed, as shown. Fixed to and depending from right intermediate rod 95 is a similar bracket 127 to which are fixed right upper and lower workholder supports, and a right workholder clamp 129 constrained and disposed similar to workholder supports 113 and 115 and which perform the same retentive function as is performed by workholder supports 113 and 115, and clamp ll 17.

The centers of the right guide support rods 33 and d5 intersect the surfaces of the saw blades 55 and 59, and the centers of the left guide support rods 87 and 89 intersect the surfaces of the i saw blades 61 and 63. This feature is represented in FIG. 9 of the drawings. Arrows 131 indicate the direction of rectilinear movement of the right saw carriage relative to the right leg 5 upon rotation of handle 41. Arrows 133 indicate the direction of rectilinear movement of the left saw carriage 23 relative to the left leg 7 upon rotation of handle 135.

It should be appreciated that rotation of either handle 41 or 135 will effect translatory movement of intermediate rods 95 and 101 either toward or away from each other depending upon the direction in which handle 41 or 135 is rotated, and such rotation thereby determines the length to which mullion tubes 125 are to be cut. it should further be appreciated that the direction of rotation of either handle 41 or 135 will determine the inclusive angles of incidence of the miter cuts on the ends of mullion tubes 125.

The operator refers to a discrete table which lists the various lengths of mullion tubes and their inclusive miter-cut angles of incidence to be made at the ends of the mullion tubes. This discrete table reflects corresponding indicia settings to be made on the right saw carriage 21 and left saw carriage 23 to accomplish the desired length of cut and inclusive miter-cut angles of incidence for the ends of the particular mullion tubes. The operator sets the right saw carriage 21 by appropriate manipulation of handle 41 such that the indicator 67 points to the required reading of the indicia 65 on the right leg 5, and the operator sets the left saw carriage 23 by appropriate manipulation of handle 135 such that the indicator 71 points to the required reading of the indicia 69 on the left leg 7.

Next two mullion tubes 125 are inserted through opening 137 in the right saw carriage 21; through and between the upper and lower workholder supports; sufficiently between, through and beyond the upper and lower left workholder supports 113 and 115 to allow sufficient material of the two mullion tubes 125 for miter cutting by the saw blades 61 and 63; and the two mullion tubes 125 are disposed to rest on work support 109. Next the positioning rod 105 is reciprocated sufiiciently in one direction of the arrows 139 to thereby have simultaneous miter cuts made by either aligned and parallel saw blades 59 and 63, or by aligned and parallel saw blades 55 and 61, depending upon the direction of movement of positioning rod 105. Next positioning rod 105 is reciprocated sufficiently in the opposite direction to have simultaneous miter cuts made by either blades 55 and 61, or by blades 59 and 63. The result of this two-step cutting operation is two mullion tubes cut to their required lengths by inclusive miter cuts of angles of incidence relative to the longitudinal axes of the two mullion tubes and whose miter-cut angles of incidence form complementary angles of 90. To remove the miter-cut mullion tubes from the workholder supports, the operator simply positions the remaining uncut mullion tubes in the workholder supports for their cutting operation thereby pushing the miter-cut mullion tubes through the opening 141 in the left saw carriage 23.

lclaim:

1. An apparatus for cutting discrete lengths of mullion tubes by inclusive, discrete miter cutting of angles of incidence of said mullion tubes relative to their longitudinal axes; said apparatus comprising frame means, carriage means and guide means; and frame means mounting said carriage means, said carriage means mounting said guide means and said carriage means carrying saw means for miter cutting the angles of incidence of said mullion tubes, said guide means carrying said mullion tubes for longitudinal feed of said mullion tubes for said miter cutting operation, and said carriage means having access means to permit such longitudinal feed of said mullion tubes.

2. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said frame means has legs and motion screws, wherein said legs carry said motion screws and wherein said motion screws carry and position said carria e means.

3. The apparatus in accor ance with claim 1, wherein said carriage means has multiple, power driven saw blades for the miter cutting of said mullion tubes.

4. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said guide means has workholder supports for carrying said mullion tubes. 

1. An apparatus for cutting discrete lengths of mullion tubes by inclusive, discrete miter cutting of angles of incidence of said mullion tubes relative to their longitudinal axes; said apparatus comprising frame means, carriage means and guide means; and frame means mounting said carriage means, said carriage means mounting said guide means and said carriage means carrying saw means for miter cutting the angles of incidence of said mullion tubes, said guide means carrying said mullion tubes for longitudinal feed of said mullion tubes for said miter cutting operation, and said carriage means having access means to permit such longitudinal feed of said mullion tubes.
 2. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said frame means has legs and motion screws, wherein said legs carry said motion screws and wherein said motion screws carry and position said carriage means.
 3. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said carriage means has multiple, power driven saw blades for the miter cutting of said mullion tubes.
 4. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said guide means has workholder supports for carrying said mullion tubes. 